Community Voices

For many years, I have been haunted by reports about global climate change. I could not bear to face the coming devastation to our planet brought about by the consumption of fossil fuels. The overwhelming nature of this problem led me to feel hopelessness and despair. When I became a grandmother in 2006, I realized [...]

First Collection for the Class of 2017 featured voices from various members of the community—including a student, a professor, and a newly hired dean—who offered encouragement and advice aimed at building a stronger, more diverse, and more inclusive campus community. The following excerpts are edited and adapted from their Sept. 3 presentations.
From Naudia Williams ’14, [...]

This year, film and media studies, which was established in 1999 as a concentration, became Swarthmore’s newest department. With 18 majors and minors graduating in June, film and media studies has grown into a vital hub of curricular offerings and programming on campus—one that cultivates a community of engaged and collaborative students, faculty, and alumni. [...]

I first heard of Swarthmore through the stories of my father—Rob Elmore ’72. He attended Swarthmore during the upheaval of Vietnam, the student protests, occupancy of the admissions office, and the untimely death of President Courtney Smith.
But when it came time to start my own college search, I began most conversations with, “I’d like a [...]

During the last two years, in the context of strategic planning, students, faculty, and staff have been in dialogue about Swarthmore’s strengths and challenges in fulfilling our commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive learning environment.
The College has long been a leader in recruitment and retention of underrepresented students. Numbers are a critical component; however, [...]

In December, the Board of Managers approved a set of strategic directions for the College. This plan is the culmination of almost two years of conversation and analysis, which included extensive internal discussions as well as reviews of trends in higher education more generally. As we begin to implement these strategic directions, I would like [...]